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Give us freedom of religion and let us live out our faith!

Our good bishops are urging us to pray for religious freedom. Their website has a bunch of goodies on it, including this prayer, under the patronage of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of our country:

O God our Creator,from your provident hand we have receivedour right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.You have called us as your people and given usthe right and the duty to worship you, the only true God,and your Son, Jesus Christ.Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospelto every corner of society.We ask you to bless usin our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.Give us the strength of mind and heartto readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;give us courage in making our voices heardon behalf of the rights of your Churchand the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughtersgathered in your Churchin this decisive hour in the history of our nation,so that, with every trial withstoodand every danger overcome—for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,and all who come after us—this great land will always be “one nation, under God,indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”We ask this through Christ our Lord.

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